Just got the Buck Mayo 179 Hilo

Big Bad Wolf

Big Bad Wolf

Joined
Oct 28, 2002
Messages
87
Just got it today and have been playing with it for the last half hour, all I can say is WOW!! A lot of value for this level of quality.

It is made is China but the quality is by far heads and shoulders above what most crap knives I have seen come out of there. It is every bit the quality of an American made Buck at a much lower price point.

The blade is 440C and it is razor sharp, the grind lines are perfect on both sides of the blades, the lock up it tight and dead on, there is no blade play to be found and the blade is centered perfectly. Not to mention the finish is simply beautiful. :eek:

It is a neat little knife really, very retro and stylish, Buck has a winner with this model! :)
 
I handled one the other day in a local shop, it is a pretty good value. Well-made and not a bad design. If you are looking at that pricepoint for a knife made offshore, it competes well with the Benchmade red class and similar knives.
 
I know this is a relatively old thread but I just wanted to add that I picked up a 174 Cutback and am as pleased with mine as Big Bad Wolf is. I would agree with everything said to discribe the 179 Hilo.

*one note- I reprofiled the cutting edge to 19 deg. with a 15 deg. back bevel. I know, wieard angles (gatco system). This maybe to thin for this steel, but I guess I'll find out soon! I also drilled mine for tip-up carry.
 
Okay ... I just got my Buck 179 Hilo about a week ago. I've not been frequenting knife forums or print periodicals in a while, so it was "new" to me when I saw it at the online retailer I prefer to patronize (KnifeOutlet.com). I was intrigued by the fact that it was 440C and at the price, it was worth taking a chance.

So ... I agree that visually it's a beautiful knife. The grinding is significantly better than I've seen on knives that cost a LOT more, and everything about just speaks to being a well designed and made knife. Most importantly, the primary edge bevel is what I expect from a Buck 110 or 112 ... very thin, so it can be made as sharp as I like it without reprofiling the edge (which is often hard work with 440C).

I'm having a little trouble though. I can get it very sharp, but the edge rolls over and become useless after very little, light duty cutting. Is the factory bevel too thin for the heat treat they use? At first I thought it was just the burr/wire edge and I hadn't removed it, but subsequent resharpening and use has proven to me that this particular knife isn't a very good cutting tool.

When abrading it to sharpen, it does seem a bit on the soft side for 440C.

Is this a common thing with this knife, or did I just get a "lemon"? I'd like to get some input from other end users before I contact Buck directly for potential warranty service.

I think it has the potential for being an excellent tool, especially at the price point available at most retailers. The knife I have seems to need a better heat treat (needs to be harder), but I don't know if that's typical or just a mistake that slipped through QA/QC. I know that if it's exactly the way it's supposed to be, and the edge is just too thin for what it is, it won't really meet my needs as I prefer my knives to be precision slicers rather than more durable, semi-sharp tools.


Thanks for any advice and help!
 
I am real happy with the production results from the Chinese facility.

They paid careful attention to detail, and although, as above, the edge is a little thin, it can be fixed without much trouble...........


the only problem I have is getting more from the guys in Idaho!!!!??? :(
 
So ... do you recommend I reprofile the edge to make it thicker?

Would a higher hardness have reduced the tendency of the edge to "roll over" to the side?

I will say that other than the problems I am having with the edge, it's a really nice knife. Of course, the edge is ... well ... everything.

Thanks for the response!
 
Rhino, try this on your blade. 1-reprofile the edge at around 15 deg. each side for a total of 30 deg. I do this by raising a burr on one side and then on the other. 2-raise the angle to approx. 20 deg. and do approx. 10 passes with moderate pressure and then the same on other. 3-strop. *blade gets better with each touch-up and strop session.
 
Will do!

It will cause me emotional pain to have an edge that thick, but I don't see any alternative in this case. Thanks!
 
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